Into the Mist
by Banana Smoothie
Summary: Victoria Williams is having trouble dealing with the disappearance of her brother. When he pops up out of nowhere, she has a tough decision to make. Forgive and forget, or just forget? But first, she has to help save a friend of his. This could end badly.
1. I Go Stalker

All of this crap I was about to get into, mind you, was totally not my fault, I assure you. Every little drop of it is Oliver's. Although, I'll admit, I doubt I could have avoided it for much loner, given my...uh...special talents.

I'll start a little earlier in that day, just to give you an adequate background of the worst day of my life. I was just sitting in class, like always, listening to Mrs. Flip ramble on and on about the Egyptian's and their religions and all of that junk. I was paying attention, of course, but I couldn't help it if it was about as interesting as watching all of those reality TV shows that littered my television screen. Whatever happened to good daytime television? Maybe some crazy guy took over the television company, or whoever runs all that junk, and is trying to take over the human race to create an army using hypnosis. Wow. How boring was this that I had to resort to conspiracy theories to keep me entertained?

So, I let our social studies teacher ramble on without an interruption and took out my notebook. I tried to make it look like I was taking notes on her incredibly interesting rant, but in reality I was writing. I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, and give people more interesting things to do than succumb to the evil of daytime television. But I wanted to be a professional dancer too. And the president, and an Actress. So I guess writer was the most realistic thing I had in my arsenal.

"Mrs. Williams, what was the last thing I said?" snapped Mrs. Flip. Unfortunately, not only was she long winded but she was also a complete and total nut job. I wondered who in the world would be sane enough to marry her. Although, I thought, looking at her elaborately draped in beads and a funny perm, perhaps he didn't have to be sane at all and they would make an excellent couple.

"You were talking about how and why the Egyptian's did mummification, ma'am," I answered, twisting my face into the most innocent and child-like smile I could manage. I have this curly ginger hair and these big blue eyes, so I can pull stuff like that off. It usually works.

Mrs. Flip sniffed. "Of course."

I nodded and returned to my "note taking". _Once upon a time there was young boy, who was unhappy with his life in a slow and dreary place called Cincinnati, Ohio. One day he just decided to pick up and run off, disappearing from the world, leaving his sister and mother to wonder what the crap had happened to h—_

By this time, the lead in my pencil snapped from the pressure I was putting on it. "Poor pencil," I muttered. Poor Oliver...

The loud and obnoxious bell that sorely reminded me of our principal, although don't tell her I said that, shimmed in all of the classes around the school, and Mrs. Flip stopped right in the middle of her sentence to control the sudden shift in the students. All of the people that had remained quiet like good little children started talking to people right beside them like they were across the room. I wasn't worried. That's what usually happened after the dismissal bell rang. I sat there quietly and rose up to eave when they called walkers over the intercom. It's not like I had anyone to talk to. No one wanted to be friends with the girl who had the missing, criminal brother; no matter her long ago he left.

Not that I hated my brother. I didn't, honest. But, the thing is, I hadn't seen him in two years, since he was about to turn thirteen and I was only eleven. One day he just grabbed all of the money we had and a bunch of food and scooted his little butt out of the door to go who knows where. I missed him. But mom never seems to care. She even talks about him like she knows where the heck he is, and when she doesn't tell I go into this huge rage and storm up to my room. But hey, no bodies perfect, right? At least according to that annoying girl with the wig on Disney channel.

"Hey, _Victoria,_" shouted one of the girls that hung out after the bell rang, because they had nothing better to do after school than sit around and make fun =of perfectly decent people. She spit out my name like it was a curse word. Not that they ever had an aversion to the more naughty words in the modern dictionary. "How's your brother doing?"

"Just fine, thank you," I said airily. I just hefted up my bag onto my shoulder and walked passed them with m nose in their air, although I'm pretty sure I looked really stupid.

I broke out of the school's main doors quickly and sprinted, but didn't _run_, off of the property. Luckily for me, my house was relatively close by, so if I "sprinted" I made it there in about two minutes.

"Ugh!" I groaned when I walked into the doorway of our house. Everything in our house was bright and sunny, like lime green and hot pink and baby blue. Usually, it just makes me feel better, but not today.

"Tori?" asked my mom. "Is something wrong?"

"No mom."

"Are you sure?" she asked, concern echoing in her voice. I could see I in her face even though there was a solid wall in between us. She looked more like me than Oliver ever had. She had big eyes and ginger hair; only she made it look mature and confident.

"Yeah..." I said softly. "Everything is just peachy."

Before my mom could poke he head out of the door to the kitchen (a door to the kitchen? Yes, it threw me for a loop too) and look at me wither hg eyes and get me to spill, I raced up stair just as quick as any of the track team and slammed my door behind me.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to forcefully pull back the tears in my eyes. But that battle had been lost the day my brother left. I leaned back against my bedroom door and slid down it until I sat in the floor, my knees pulled up touching my chest. I am ashamed to say I was blubbering. I was a little girl who missed her big brother. But what was wrong with that? What was wrong with missing the person who taught you how to be strong and how to throw a baseball and all of that stuff? We had never really had a firmly set pair of parents. Mom had gotten married to her long-term boyfriend about eight months before Oliver was born, because he was pre-mature. Then they had me, and then the guy I never really knew had just picked up and left. Like father like son, I guess.

"Oliver?" I asked him, my voice watery. "Where are you?" I didn't care that he couldn't hear me. I deserved an answer, whether he was willing to give it our not.

"Tori?" my mom asked a little while later, knocking lightly on the door. I grabbed a book from my bookshelf an crawled out of the doors path and onto my bed, so she wouldn't know about my breakdown. "Tori?"

"What?" I asked, which is Middle Schooler lingo for "come on in, I'm decent."

Mom opened my door slowly, checking on the floor in the place I had been a short while ago, like she knew what my last ten minutes had consisted of. I lifted the book a little higher to conceal my red eyes and nose. "Some one came here to see you."

"Um, hi," called someone from out of my view. But I knew who it was. It was Joshua Blake, the kid in school that always got into trouble. He had some sort of mental issues, and if you knew him, you would agree. Although, considering whose speaking, I can't really say anything. But he was kind of cute. He had this really awesome tan and honey blonde hair with these eyes that were so gray they were scary. "Um, you lost your junk."

He held up half of the contents of my bag. Luckily, it was the half that consisted of textbooks and stray papers, and not my notebooks or the deodorant I carried around everywhere. I didn't need another reason for kids to laugh at me.

"You sort of dropped this when you ran from the school. I think you have a whole in your backpack, just so you know."

"Right," I muttered. "Thanks." I put the book down and went to pick us my pile of crap. Then I remembered my eyes. "Oops."

"Were you crying?" asked my mother, shocked.

"Mom, it's Middle School," I told her, irritated. "Considering the circumstances, I'm lucky I haven't gotten beat up this year."

"What circumstances?" asked Josh. I laughed a little. Those girls at the locker had obviously put him up to this. But his face was simply overflowing with curiosity. "Don't you pay attention? I thought everyone at school knew about the Oliver Situation." I angrily wiped some of the moisture out of my eyes.

"Oliver?"

"Yes, Oliver," I said, twirling a stray thread from my bedspread in between my fingers. "My brother. He left two years ago. Everyone thinks he's a criminal. He's not..." I let my voice drift off.

Josh looked thoughtful for a moment. I was sure he was contemplating exactly all of the stupid things he could do to me. "But it's no big deal."

"Are you sure? He was your brother, wasn't he?" He said, sticking her hands into his pockets and looking out of the window. He had stray lock of that golden honey hair out of place by his ear, and I found the little part of my thirteen year old heart that hadn't hardened want to push it back. Darn hormones. What were they good for, anyway?

"Yeah, well thanks for giving me my stuff back," I said hurriedly. Anything that got him out of my house, out of my _room,_ so I could get my heart rate back to normal.

"No problem," he said with a smile. His teeth were a little uneven, and they weren't movie star white (thank goodness) but it was a smile that made my stomach flip flop like one of those silly girls in a cheesy soap opera. He pulled out one of the weirdest things I had ever seen out from behind his back. Okay, that's not true. I had seen some really weird things. Some guys with only one eye, a couple of giants, some kids shooting arrows at sphinx in a dark alley. But it certainly wasn't something I expected this kid to carry around with him. It was a big old sword made out of bronze, and it was _glowing._ Freaky.

"Are you going to baseball?" asked my mom calmly. Did she not see the sword in this kid hands? I bet he was a murderer come to assassinate me because my theory about television had been a little too close to the truth. Not that she would know. She was talking about baseball.

"Yes, ma'am." He smiled again, but he had this funny look in his eye, like he thought something was amusing.

"Good luck." Mom bustled out of the room.

"See you in school," he said in my direction, saluting me with the lethal blade. Then he walked out of the house.

I blinked a few times, and then I rubbed my eyes. So he wasn't going to run me through? Then why did he had a sword with him? And why was I the only sane one and could see it when my mother couldn't? Or maybe _in_sane...

I grabbed my sweatshirt, which I had neatly deposited around my hamper, and ran out for the door. "Mom?"

"Yeah?" she shouted from the kitchen. My mom was really into to crafts and stuff like that. Pottery was her current obsession. I knew if I peeked into our kitchen I would see her at the table with clay up to her elbows, pumping the spinning wheel furiously as a pot started to take shape from the blob on the spinner.

"I'm going to the park."

"Are you meeting that nice Josh kid?"

"Um, sort of." Was following really considered meeting up with him? And, just to clear this up, I do not randomly decide to stalk people around. Just people with murderous weapons in their current possession. And I don't think that can really be considered at stalking...per say.

He walked around the school for a while, surely looking for little kids to gut with his evil stick of doom. After that he walked by some houses, but he didn't look in the windows or anything. He was getting really boring. But I could tell he was walking _somewhere._ He wasn't just roaming the streets randomly. Meeting up with one of his evil gang members, perhaps?

I thought I was doing an incredibly good job for someone who had no previous spying experience. Or at least I did until he stopped in the middle of the road at the park. "Why are you following me?" he asked, his voice full of amusement all over again. He didn't even turned around.

"I wasn't following you," I assured him, jumping out from behind the tree I was hiding behind. "I was simply observing you." Man, that sounded lame. Oh well, I'm not at my most witty when I'm put on the spot. If he wanted a good answer he should have given me some advance notice.

He just stood there, when unexpectedly, with a movement as smooth as silk and with a fluid air, he pointed his sword at my face. "And why is that?"

"You're asking me why I'm following you when you have a sword pointed at my head. Gee, I wonder," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. One for Tori!

He looked at me for a minute. "This is a bat."

"No, it's a sword," I said. "Hate to break it to you."

"Prove it," he said.

"Prove what?" I asked.

"That you can see it."

I took a deep breath, careful not to move any closer to the sword point than absolutely possible. "It's bronze, I think. I glowing..." I tried, attempting to describe it. For an aspiring write I wasn't doing very well. "And it's pointed at my face." I tried to put my finger on its surface top push it down, but my finger just passed through like it was part of the air itself. "Whoa." I look at it in shock. "On the other hand, maybe I _am_ crazy. I'll be going now."

I turned to go, but Josh grabbed my arms, and I was sure he was going to cut off my head or something equally fatal. But he just shouted over his shoulder. "Oliver, I found her."

My heart skipped a beat, and not just because Josh was touching me. Okay, maybe it was a little like that, but mostly it was because he said Oliver. And then the unthinkable happened.

Oliver just stood up from his previous position on a bench a little further down, one that was hidden from me by a canopy of trees. "Hey, Tori," said my fifteen year old brother.

Didn't see that coming.


	2. My Emotional Bathtub gets Unplugged

Okay. So you know how I just missed him? How I never _really_ hated him? How I just wanted to see him again? That's not all I wanted. I wanted to shout at him so much that he would finally realize everything that his leaving had cost me. Just how horrible it felt to life my life. And most of all, I wanted to punch him so hard between the legs he would sound like he had taken in a crap load of helium.

Although, I thought as I looked at my scrawny little arms, I doubt I could have made a dent in him. The last two years had been good to him; I'll give him that. He wore t-shirt, and under it I could clearly se every finely toned abs, and his arms weren't too muscular, but he could have beat the crap out of anyone I knew. Especially with the dagger he held.

Why the heck had everyone started carrying around medieval weapons? Was it some new fad I had missed? I bet this was all because of television.

But the fact that my brother now looked like a football player didn't stop me from running at him. I hit him as hard as I could over and over again, everywhere I could reach. But I was really pathetic, because he didn't even flinch. He just stood there, looking at me.

After a moment or two, Josh came over and pulled me off of him, but I fought him, kicking and pulling away. I was careful not to curse, not only because I didn't like it, but because someone might hear and get the wrong idea. I mean, two guys, holding back a screaming girl? Doesn't take someone that much imagination to get the story mixed up. And then the news would be in on it and then I would definitely be grounded.

Eventually, all of that junk food took its toll, and I could feel my body getting tired. Soon all I could do was let Josh hold me, because he was at least as strong as Oliver. He set me down on the ground, and I just sat there, staring at them from the dirt path. Then I started crying again. I know, I know, second time that day. I'm not usually that emotional, but you try going through that, it's hard to stay dry eyed.

"Tori?" Oliver stepped closer slowly, like he was afraid I would attack him again. He touched my shoulder, and I started screaming at him. Screw the news.

"No!" I scrambled up from the ground. "No, no, no. Don't touch me!" I looked at him, my big eyes getting even bigger. They had been a little puffy from earlier, but now my nose was running and everything. Not at my most attractive. "How could you?"

"What?" asked Oliver. "Touch you? Are you really that picky?" He smiled that smile, that Oliver smile, and for a moment, I almost relented. I was this close to letting him get away with everything. But then I remembered the face I saw n the mirror the day he left. The one with the huge, red, puffy eyes, and the running nose. The one with the disheveled hair that just sprung all over the place. The tears streaming down her cheeks. I remembered moms too, like she had lost him for good. Like he really was dead and we would never see him again. How could I let him get away with that?

"No!" I was getting madder and madder. How could he joke about this? Especially when he knew what he did? "Just...just _leave_?" I looked him in the eyes, my chest heaving from my physical exertion. "You just left! With no explanation, no good-bye?" I asked. "Even mom wouldn't even talk about you! It was like you were never there." My voice was starting to get all watery, like the tears I was crying were creeping into my throat. "But you were..." I said softly.

"Maybe it would be better if I wasn't," he said, his eyes stone cold, like it wasn't his little sister he was talking to. He was talking to me like you talk to those really annoying people who don't get you don't like them, and you're just bursting to start telling them off.

"But you were." I looked at the ground quickly, and then back at him, my eyes just as hard. "You were here, whether you like it or not. And the least you could have done is not make me try to pretend you weren't." My voice sounded harsh, like a grandmother scolding her grandchild. I winced inwardly.

"That?" he asked, spitting out the word. "You are mad at me for _that?"_ He was yelling at me. Actually yelling. He had changed just as much as I had. I guess time is one of those things that you just have to change for, or else it eats you.

"Yes I'm mad at you for _that," _I cried. "Yes, I am mad at you for leaving me alone. What is so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that you are mad at me for protecting you," he shouted back. Then he stopped, like he had given a way a little too much. Yeah, like I hadn't had too much already.

"From what?" I asked. My tone changed again. Now it sounded like I was an angry girlfriend, asking for an explanation as to why there was some other girl's bra in his bed or something of equal horrendousness. That was awkward coming from his sister. "From guys with swords and daggers," I asked, pointing at Josh's sword. "From monsters? What do you want me to believe? I'm a little too old for boogie man stories."

"Yes, I'm protecting you from guys with swords and daggers. Yes, I am protecting you from monsters," Oliver said, rubbing his temples. "Maybe the boogie man was real after all."

"I've dealt with monsters Oliver. The human kind that surround us in Middle School." I stepped closer to him, putting my finger in his face. "I dealt with the words they thought I couldn't hear. And the laughter, and everything. Maybe you shouldn't have worried about saving me from monsters and faced whatever you left for before it ruined _everything!_" I screamed the last word, and I felt it echoing around the trees. I think it echoed through my body to. I almost shook at its force. I saw Oliver shiver.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked angrily. "Do you have any idea what I have been through these past to years?"

"No! I don't!" I shouted. "That's the problem. Feel free to enlighten me."

He grabbed my shoulder and shook me, like he was trying to shake into me exactly what he had gone through. "I've seen people die right in front of me. I have lost friends I thought would last forever. I've been through a _war!"_ He shook me again, and I pulled away from him.

"You want to know what's wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me." I lifted up my shirtsleeve, and it was layered with bruises. "I am tired of getting into fight over you. Of defending you when I don't even know you anymore. I'm tired of living like you aren't there. It makes me feel like you're dead or something..." I pushed my sleeve down. "You say you've seen people die right in front of you. This entire time I've had someone dying _in_ me. And it's so horrible."

"Worse than a war?" asked Josh. It surprised me, because he hadn't said one word the entire time we were yelling at each other.

"No, not worse than a war," I admitted. I scuffed my foot on the ground. I looked at all of the wilted and trodden on flowers that lined the path we were standing. Dirt and other little things that had fallen off of bike wheels and people shoes had muted the bright colors of purple and blue and yellow and red.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" he asked, like he was rethinking coming back. Wow. I felt all of the anger I had at him drain out like someone had pulled out the drain in my emotional bathtub.

"Yes," I said sadly. "Yes, I am glad you came back."

He let out a puff of air, like he had been holding it back. I stepped away just as he reached out to grab me up in a hug.

"I just wish you had never left." I turned to go. The clouds in the sky above me puffed along quickly I saw the scene in my head. Josh leaning up against a tree looking cool and cute, his blonde hair blowing in the wind that rushed at us all. Oliver reaching out for me, for his little sister, like he just couldn't get a hold of me because I was just out of his reach. My turning away from him, my skirt flowing in the breeze, ginger hair covering my face like a veil. All of this, the leaving, the situation, the conversation, the scene. It was all playing out some bad soap opera. "Come home when you have a better excuse for leaving than to save me from the boogie man."


	3. Authors Note

**a/n: hey guys! I have no idea if any one is reading this, but whatever. I wont be on from Monday to either Friday or Saturday. Not quite sure. =) But the point is I wont be able to update for a while. And please, if you are reading this and you like my story please review and let m know that you like it. Because I don't want to work ona story no one like! So yeah that's about it! Bye! See you next week!**

**t.t.f.n.**

**~Hallie Cumberland~**


	4. Rubber balls and Holograms

**a/n: Sorry about that last chapter. I didn't know you weren't allowed to just have an authors note...=0 Oopsies! Again. My bad. Oh and this story probably isn't going to be very long. I mean, it won't be, like, 30 chapters. Just a warning. ;)**

What the crap was I doing? Was I seriously just walking away from my brother and a totally hot guy after I hadn't seen him in years? Yes, I thought to myself. I really am. I guess stuff like that s all a cycle. When they leave, you hate them for just disappearing. Then, after a while, you're just plain sad. And then when they show up you get mad at them again.

The walk home was not a fun one. It was around 6:30 in the afternoon, so the sky was getting darker and darker by every passing moment, at least, that's what it seemed like. Of course, my mood wasn't much better. I scowled at everyone and kicked a couple of rocks and little actions of angst. Although, to be perfectly honest, my face never looked really mad. If I tried, I just looked really depressed, which leads to a bunch of, "are you okay?" questions, which aren't very welcome when you feel like you're about to bite someone's head off. Which isn't a good thing, obviously.

Inevitably, I had to pass the park to get home, and some kid was out looking for a rubber ball.

"'Scuse me, ma'am," the little girl said as sweetly as possible. She was really cute, with dark hair, pale skin, and navy blue eyes. "Have you seen my ball?"

I shook my head. "Sorry sweetie, I haven't."

Her face fell. Then it cheered up "Will you help me find it?"

What was I supposed to do?

Ten minutes later I was crawling around on the park floor looking for this little girls ball. And you know the saying, "God made dirt so dirt don't hurt?" Has god ever had it shoved up his nose? No, I didn't think so.

Although I did learn a lot about the little girl. Her name was Kylie, she was seven, she liked peanut butter, and she thought I was pretty. What can I say? The girl had good taste.

Another two minutes later I found the red rubber ball, neatly wedged in between the roots of a gigantic tree. "Kylie?" I asked, pulling at it. "I found it."

That's when I noticed the familiar face sitting on a bench on the other side of that very tree. Josh.

I couldn't help but eavesdrop. I mean, come on! This guy knew more about my long lost brother than I did, he had been through some sort of war, and that's about all I knew. Can you blame me for wanting to know more? The fact that he looked very cute. And sad, which was understandable.

He was talking into this holographic type thing coming out of a rainbow from a waterfall. "She's mad."

"Mad?" The voice came from the hologram. It was something like a webcam. It was at an angle that I couldn't see the person on the other side. They sounded like a guy in his middle ages.

"Really mad." He shook his head. "They had a shouting match and then she just left. So much for the plan." He sighed heavily.

"Don't you have a plan b?" asked a girl.

Josh laughed a little. "You know me. I always have a plan b."

"You don't usually have to resort to them."

He shrugged.

The guy spoke again. "Well, you have to get this sister of his to forgive him. He refuses to attend camp and train anymore without saying sorry, and I doubt their last meeting would qualify in his book."

Josh shook his head. "Okay, I'll try, but I doubt she will listen. She, uh, is a little stubborn."

"Figures," said the girl. I could practically hear the eye roll in her voice. "Knowing Oliver, she probably is as hard to move as a mountain."

"She's not that bad," Josh said, his face smiling. I blushed. "Maybe a boulder the size of a house, but not a mountain."

"I don't get why we even need Oscar," said a third voice.

"Oliver," the first male voice corrected.

"Whatever," said the third. "The boy is one of hundreds. We have a small army around here as it is. Why do we even need him?"

Josh relaxed even more, and I knew he was angry. I had seen that at school. Any minute know Josh would loose his cool and attack the third voice verbally. Surprisingly, he kept his cool, which was more than could be said for the teachers. "Oliver is a strong demi-god. And he saved tons of other kids in the war against the Titan's."

"Well, then I suggest you get this Tasha girl to accept his apology."

"I recommend a guilt trip," said the girl.

"Well, thanks Ashlee," said Josh, shaking his head.

"No problem."

"Come, Mr. D. I propose a game of pinochle," said the second voice.

Mr. D. agreed. "Chiron, I believe today is the day I will beat you, old horse."

"Good luck," said Ashlee quietly while the two men went to do their game. I had no idea what pinochle was, but I think it was a card game. Those guys were probably pretty old. I wonder if my mom knew what pinochle was.

"See you later, 'sis." Josh slashed the hologram with his hand, and the image disappeared when the rainbow was shattered.

I stood up slowly from my hiding spot. "Sis?"

Josh turned around, his sword pointed at my throat again.

Before he realized it was me and lowered his blade, I took a deep breath and stepped forward into it. The incredibly sharp tip passed through my neck like a magic trick at a Vegas casino. "What is going on?" I asked, now face to face with him, that blade of his still passed through my body as I just stood there.

And then he explained _everything._


	5. Melting Popsicles and Mind Readers

**Hola, my friends. I know I haven't updated in **_**forever**_**, and I put that in italics just to help you figure out how ashamed of myself I am. Mostly. Just remember, reviews are very motivating, which is something that I am lacking at the moment. So if you like my story at all, please click the button at the bottom of this page and let me know. Thanks. And feel free to give me any ideas. Right now I am working on writers block.**

**p.s. The next chapter of A Week in the Life of a Stressed Demigod (my other story) is going to be up as soon as I finish typing it.**

I am sure that I was utterly attractive on that bench while I was talking to Joshua, caked in dirt and leaves in my curly hair and my mouth hanging open like an idiot. But hey, I'd like to see you try to do any better. Because, seriously, this whole Greek-gods-are-real thing is really freaky. Not to mention a little more than shocking. (Since when is there a 600th floor of the Empire State Building? Or anywhere, for that matter? I'm pretty sure that is slightly impossible. Although I'm not a god, so I doubt my "mortal mind can comprehend certain things." Thanks a lot, Joshua.)

When he had finally finished, I felt like I had aged a million years. That also meant that my brother hadn't be melodramatic when he said he had seen a war. If any of this was real in the first place, which I was stubbornly denying.

"Wouldn't that get...complicated? Fighting monsters in broad daylight and stuff? I'm pretty sure that guys with swords chopping up giants and demon dogs from Hades might be in the Sunday paper."

"What?" asked Josh. He was playing with a little gold coin. Maybe little isn't the best word. It was really chunky. Compared to the money that I was used to, this thing might have been on steroids or something. It was thick and shiny, with a picture of the Empire State Building stamped on one side and, I saw as he flipped it expertly in his fingers, a picture of a person wrapped in a toga on the other. I guess gods wouldn't want to use our money. There really is way too much Zinc in our pennies nowadays.

"Thanks for paying attention." Hey, he just threw down one of the biggest stories I have ever heard and is trying to convince me its real so that I will finally forgive my brother for abandoning my mother and I. The least he could do was pay me a little consideration.

"Sorry, could you repeat the question?" he asked.

Gosh, for a supposed "son of Athena, goddess of wisdom and blah blah blah" he sure was spacey.

(when I finally met her a very long time from then I learned that his mother had a temper. She didn't appreciate that comment.)

I repeat my question.

He nodded, and I felt my heart flutter, because, let's face, I'm a middle school girl. I can pull that off.

"There's this thing called the Mist that generate when elements of _your _world ours. Are you following?"

Duh, I was following. I'm not stupid. But I only say things like that out loud when I am under emotional stress, so I politely responded, "So far so good."

"This Mist masks those elements that mortals aren't supposed to see from being visible. So, people like you can't see monsters or our swords or anything incriminating." He leaned back against the back of the bench, and I couldn't help thinking that nerds make the best boyfriends.

"So we just don't see _anything, _like at all?" I asked. If this was a lie, which I doubt more and more, it sure was an elaborate one.

"You see _something,_ sure. Just not what's actually there," he explained.

"So we would see some random person beating up a grandma or something instead of you chopping up a bull-man?" I would have found that incredibly funny.

He smiled that smile that you hear about in books. You know, that smile that makes every girl's heart in a three-mile radius melt into a puddle like a Popsicle in the summer? "Yeah, pretty much."

I thought about that for a moment, and then I had a sudden moment of clarity. "But I saw your sword," I prompted. The question about how my finger had slipped through the surface of his blade, which was definitely a solid, had long past. And I made him swing it at me just to make sure, which he didn't seem very happy about.

He sighed. "Well, there are exceptions to every rule, you now." He looked at me, and his intense grey eyes boring into mine made my heart solidify and melt all over again. "Certain mortals, like yourself, have the ability to see through the Mist without being a demi-god."

I made a noise in my mouth kind of like a horse braying, which was infinitely embarrassing but also an uncontrollable habit. It explained so much. Expect for one little itsy bitsy detail.

"Why did he leave?" I asked to no one in particular. Maybe the tree, since trees being able to talk would _not_ be the weirdest thing that had happened in the past two hours or so.

Josh, being the smart guy that he is, didn't have to ask who I was talking about. "He told you already. To protect you."

That answer didn't satisfy me. "But why? If he can see monsters too, than why couldn't he just stay here?"

"Oliver isn't a mortal, like you," Josh muttered softly. "He's like me, a demi-god. He's a son of Apollo, the god of the sun, and music, and poetry, and—lots of other stuff," he finished, stopping himself before he started reciting an endless list of just what Apollo was the god of. I had sat through the same session in Latin. I knew the basics. "He's your half brother. It wouldn't have been safe for either you or your mother or even himself if he stayed."

I sighed heavily. Josh left me with that little tidbit to consider as he rose from his seat on the bench next to me and started walking away in the opposite direction. Without his body warmth next to me, I had suddenly realized just how cold it had gotten.

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl who lived in a virtual world, and that was all she knew until the handsome Joshua came and told her that everything she knew was a lie, and she would be delusional to think anything else. And then they lived happily ever after._

I smiled softly, and then a thought struck me. I felt a hot red blush that banished the chill from my body creep onto my cheeks. I looked in the direction Josh had gone.

I really hoped that children of Athena couldn't read minds.


	6. I Agree to a Picnic with my Arch Nemesis

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I had had enough detours. Right then, I just wanted to go home. It was already way past my curfew, and I would have to run to make it home in time for dinner. Thankfully, mom usually totally forgets about dinner while she's in her little craft cavern, so we eat pretty late. But still, I would have to run.

And I did! With success, I might add! Although even before I walked in the door I could practically see my mother pacing, a newly made pot in her hands, ready to throw at my head for being so late. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. Especially since when I walked in there was no projectile container in sight. Or a mom holding it. Which was surprising, it really was. The mom part, not the jar.

"Hello?" I asked tentatively, knocking on the doorframe as I walked in. "Mom?"

"Victoria!" shouted my mother, running into the room.

I was shocked. She had used my full name. She only does that in two situations. 1) She's furious. 2) She is insanely happy. And she didn't look furious. So I'm going with answer number two.

"Yes?" I asked uncertainly. "You're happy because...?"

That's when Oliver poked his little head out of the door that led to the kitchen. "Hi, again."

"He came home!" shouted my mother again. And ran back over to Oliver to shower him in hugs.

I looked from Oliver to my mother and back and forth over and over for the entire time my mom was strangling my new buff brother.

I knew this would happen, subconsciously at least. He had just come home after years. He wouldn't stop at just seeing me. He had to see his mother, the woman who gave him life. And after that was done, he would be staying at his house. I mean, technically, it _was_ his house. Was. Two years ago. He left, so now this was my territory. But I couldn't tell mom that. It would break her newly repaired heart.

Josh had said something about how he wasn't going to leave until I forgave him. I could do that. I could tell him I forgave him and then he could go back to saving the world and I could live with myself. After all, he _did_ come back for me. That had to count for something, right?

So, the moment mom let go of Oliver and he had caught the breath to replace all of it that had just gotten squeezed out of him, I looked him straight in the eye. "Oliver," I started, and he got this really hopeful look in his blue eyes. "I—I..." I choked out. Those hopeful eyes kept looking at me. I took a deep breath and started over again. "Oliver, I...I for..." I looked away from him at my feet.

He sighed heavily, and secretly, I could tell he knew it wouldn't be that easy. He walked up to me, his arm to my shoulder, facing opposite directions. "You never could lie to me."

I looked at him, and for the first time I really wished that I _could _forgive him. That we could be brother/sister again. But I couldn't. Not only was I unable to lie to Oliver, I couldn't lie to myself. I sighed, took a deep breath, and looked at him. "Goodnight, Oliver." And then I sprinted upstairs and locked myself in my room without any dinner.

I was really hungry the next morning.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I walked downstairs in the morning, my stomach was in complete control. It was Saturday morning, and I was hungry. I'm a growing girl, what's wrong with that?

A lot, because the universe seemed intent on keeping me from eating my breakfast and starving me to death. There wasn't any cereal in the pantry. We didn't have any bagels or doughnuts. All of the fruit was rotten (can you say smelly?). And we were all out of instant pancake mix. It was a sad day in the William's household.

"Mom?" I called. Then I saw the post-it note on the microwave.

_Hi, dear. Or dear's, now that Oliver's back. So, whoever reads this first (my guess is Tori, because Oliver's never been an early bird) I went to the gym this morning. After that I'm going to the grocery store to get more fruit. No homemade breakfast, sorry. Just pop a pop tart in the microwave oven._

_Lot's of love,_

_Mom =)_

I looked in the pantry again. The pop-tarts box was now the home to a happy spider. But no actual pop-tarts were currently in residence. Which made me sad.

Just then the doorbell rang. I thought it was Josh at first, coming over to check on my brother (and hopefully me, because he was madly in love with me). I looked my self over. Oh boy. I was in my pajama pants and a tank top. I put my nest of hair in a ponytail and answered the door. The pajamas were a lost cause.

"Who is it?" I asked, and a yawn forced itself up my throat, so it sounded more like, "'Ooo ith thit?"

"It's me!" said an overly excited, and way too awake for the morning, little girl. And, even weirder, I totally recognized it.

I threw open the door. "Kylie?"

"Tori!" she shouted, and ran into me like she was trying to knock me down onto her level.

"Kylie, I don't think she'll appreciate being tackled," said someone with a teasing tone, but it was firm nonetheless. Kylie immediately let go and rejoined the two other girls in the doorway. I knew them too.

One was tall, thin, and gorgeous, even though most of what I saw was make-up. She was tanned just enough, with raven black hair and light blue eyes. She was in my grade. Her name was Avril Taylor, one of the Locker Girls. Actually, she was _the_ Locker Girl.

The other one I had never seen before, but I kind of had. She was the same age as Avril, but I had never seen her before. They looked alike too. But she looked more like Kylie. She had short black curly hair, pale skin, and lovely dark navy blue eyes. She had the same thin build as Avril, but she seemed to glow from the inside out. Avril had a twin. Who knew?

"Hi," said the mystery girl. "My name's Avery. My sister and I go to school with you."

Avery Taylor. Interesting. I was busy glaring at Avril, Avril was too busy filing her nails to notice, and Kylie was struggling to keep from tackling me again.

Avery took a deep breath. She seemed a little uncomfortable. "My sister and I," she started again, shooting a meaningful glance at Avril. "Came to thank you for helping our younger sister last night."

Kylie grinned.

"You're welcome," I said smiling at her. Then I looked myself over again. "Sorry, I'm not at my best."

"That's perfectly okay," Avery assured me.

"Whose at the door?"

That's when Oliver made his grand entrance. He had bed head, of course, and he wore shorts and a orange t-shirt that read "Camp Half-Blood". He looked like a typical California boy. He also looked really confused when he saw the girls at the front door.

When Avril heard a male voice, her attention jumped from her nails to Oliver. "And you are?" she said with smile.

Oliver looked at me out of the corner of his eye. _Is she one of those mean girls?_ I could practically hear him asking.

I raised an eyebrow at him. _What do you think?_

"I'm..." he started. I think we both had a feeling that we would get quite a reaction if we told anyone that Oliver, the infamous deserting brother, came back home.

"This is my cousin..." I covered for him. I needed a name. I looked at Avril and Avery. Twin. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Olsen. "Olsen!" I said patting him on the back. He looked at me like I was crazy.

"That's an awesome name," said Avril. She oozed flirt, but in a playful, charming way. Maybe that's the way she got all her friends. I hoped the charade wouldn't work on my brother.

"Thanks," said Oliver airily.

Avril started pouting, just the tiniest bit. Score one for the William's sibling.

Avery looked at her sister. It wasn't a mad look, more like she was disappointed. "We also came here to invite you to a neighborhood picnic."

I looked at their clothes. Kylie wore a pink dress with little ruffles on the hem. Avril wore a pair of short's (emphasis on _short, _mind you) and a nice white top. Avery wore a comfortable looking white skirt and a teal tank top. All three of them looked nice.

"Semi-casual," said Avril, like it mattered. To her, I'm sure it did. She looked over my ensemble. "Maybe I should help." She looked hopefully at Oliver.

I looked over _her_ ensemble. "I don't think so."

Avery laughed a little. "Maybe _I_ should help," she offered. Then she looked at Kylie. "What do you say? Do you want to help Tori pick out an outfit?"

"Oh, yes yes!" she said, clapping in delight.

She looked back at me and her navy blue eyes smiled.

"Fine, fine. But my room only," I said, flashing a subtle warning. If her and Avril were related, she must have a little demon inside her too. I just hadn't seen it yet.


	7. An Epic Battle with a Six Armed Man

**a.n. Review please! How about I update when I get 15 reviews? Because, quite honestly, that would work very well for me. =) please? **

**And I changed my pen name. Yay! I am now Banana Smoothie! Cuz I had one for lunch. =)**

My favorite thing that Avery did was dismiss her sister. She _dismissed_ the Queen of the Locker Girls, the Empress of Middle School, the Conductor of the Gossip Train. I have got to give that girl her props. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

"So, what? Are you banishing me from your house?" asked Avril, like she didn't understand, which she totally could. She may not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but she of all people should be an expert at the wars of Middle School Girls. This occurred after she tried the whole we-are-twins-so-it's-all-or-nothing thing. This didn't work because Avery didn't back her up. If you could see me right now, I would be sticking my tongue out.

"We aren't banishing you, sweetie," assured Avery. "We're just...dismissing you."

"Is that any better?" inquired Avril with a scowl.

"Oh, yes. Much better, isn't it Kylie?"

Kylie grinned again, and I noticed that she was missing a few teeth. Awwww, how cute!

Avril scowled at Avery, this time accompanied with a glare. And then, do you know what Avery did? She told her to "shoo" like the fly from that one song that I only know the chorus to. Including a hand motion.

Avril's face sweetened like someone had poured an entire jar of sugar in her tea, or whatever her beverage preference was. Probably some kind of foreign water imported from France or something. She smiled at Oliver slyly. "See you at the picnic, Olsen." And then, the Queen Bee accepted defeat and walked down the sidewalk. I hoped all her mirrors would break. Or maybe it's like that thing with poison. If you have it in your system for long enough you become immune or something of that nature.

"Tori!" shrieked Kylie. It was like that little girl had been freed of her shackles are five years instead of five minutes. She tackled me, and this time, I actually did fall on my behind.

To my surprise, Avery didn't scold her like before.

"Aren't you going to tell her to let go?" I heard "Olsen" whisper.

Avery smiled sweetly. "That's all for Avril. She would be absolutely mortified if Kylie did that in her presence, even if she doesn't show it." Then she went over and tickled Kylie beneath her little armpit, and her younger sister completely collapsed into giggles. I needed to remember that trick for the next assault. "However, I do have to fix you, Tori. Come on Kylie, up you go." She heaved up the little girl from the tangle of Tori and Kylie and took hold of her hand.

"Please?" asked her little sister, her navy eyes big and sad, her lower lip put into a slight pout. "Pretty please with a cherry on top? And mint chocolate chip ice cream, because that's your favorite."

Avery knelt on the ground and looked Kylie in the eye, navy to navy. "Don't you remember what Avril said?"

"Since when do you care what sissie says?" asked Kylie innocently, but her eyes betrayed her devious thoughts. That seven year old would be in theater, just thought I would let you know my opinion. I think it's a pretty good one.

"I always take what Avril says into consideration."

"Then why don't you ever do what she tells you to?" I had a hard time imagining Avril "telling" anyone anything. She always had had that ordering kind of tone.

"Well, I would if the advice she dealt were in everyone's preeminent interest. Seeing as this is usually not the case, I don't see any reason why I should take it." Avery looked at Kylie just as innocently. That's the way to bamboozle a seven year old. Confuse her with lots of big words.

She stood up again and brushed doff her white skirt. "Why don't we just head up to your bedroom." Kylie shook her head enthusiastically.

"You two go on up, it's the first one on the left with the green paint," I instructed as they started up the steps. "Be there in a minute!"

Kylie looked up at her sister innocently. "Is she going to yell at him?"

"Shhh, let's go," tried Avery. Kylie didn't move. "Oh, fine. I'll race you up the stairs."

"Yay!" Kylie bolted, her goal achieved.

"I second Kylie's question," commented Oliver, relaxing on the couch.

"Don't slouch," I snapped. Then I winced. "Sorry."

"Yeah, I think you yelled at me enough yesterday, to be honest." My face fell. "Okay, fine, sorry. What do you want to supposedly yell at me for?"

"I'm not going to yell at you," I said. "I'm just offering a...warning."

"For what?"

"The Taylor twins."

"That sounds like a circus act."

"Oliver!"

Oliver threw his hands up in defeat. "Okay, sorry. Why should I look out for "The Taylor Twins"?"

"Well, Avril is a typical cheerleader stereotype, and she isn't even a cheerleader."

"And Avery?" asked Oliver, curious.

"Well..." I scowled. "They're related. Shouldn't that count for something?"

"She seems okay to me, that's all. In fact she seems almost like that one girl two years ago." Oliver stood up. "Do we have any pop-tarts?" He walked passed me. Thanks for heeding my reluctantly given warning Mr. Oliver.

"Will you take this seriously?" I hissed.

He popped open a can of Ale-8*. "They're Middle School girls, Vicky, the worst they can do is start rumors and shoot glares. Remember," he tweaked my nose. "I shop monsters in half for a living." Then he went into his own room up the steps.

"And don't call me Vicky," I mumbled long after he closed his door.

"Tori?" asked Avery when I walked back into my room, her head cocked to the side. "Are you okay?"

I looked her over again, head to toe. "Yeah, I'm fine." I sat down on my bed and stared out my window, where I could see a bunch of volunteers setting up inflatable castles and stuff, and a bunch of father grilling up things scattered around on the plane. I looked her over again, trying to find a resemblance of Avril, the girl who worked harder to ruin my life than to finish her homework.

Avery shifted a bit, like she was uncomfortable. "Are you looking for my 'inner demon'?"

I looked at her in alarm. Could she read my mind or something?

"You aren't as discreet as you wish you were," she explained, shuffling her way through my closet. "Besides, I get it a lot, being Avril's twin and all. Let's say that some of her friends aren't as friendly when she isn't around." She tossed me a forest green tank top and a brown short-sleeved shirt to go under it, along with a denim skirt. "Go on," she said, prompting me to change.

"Well, turn around," I said self consciously. Avery rolled her eyes.

"We're all girls," she insisted, but she turned around anyway.

I started changing, and eventually the silence was suffocating. "I never see you in school." As long as I was in need of small talk I might as well figure out a mystery. "How old are you?"

"Me and Avril are _twins,_ so I'm 13 like you."

"Do you go to a private school, or something like that?"

Avery sketched a pattern on my bedspread with her finger. "I'm in another grade that my sister and you."

"Did you get held back?" I found that hard to believe. "Okay, you can look."

Avery turned around and started to mess with my hair. "Actually, I skipped a grade. Testing scores and stuff, you know."

"Wow." Avery made my hair look as curly as possible, and made me up with eyeliner and mascara and this gold flecked eye shadow in about five minutes. Once again, I have to give that girl her props.

"Yep, and I _still_ get confused with her. I have random people come up and start screaming at me after school." She stepped back to admire her work. "I did a good job, if I may say so myself. Let's just hope Olsen cleans up nice."

"Who is—" I only barely caught myself. Avery looked at me funny.

"I knew your brother," she started again a few minutes later.

"Oh...really?" I gulped. Maybe she caught on.

"Yes, when I was in sixth grade, he was the person I had to follow around for a day to get the hang of the school. Olsen and Oliver look a lot alike, or I would imagine they would if I saw Oliver at 15. Only Olsen is a lot...more muscular than I ever imagined Oliver being." She shoo her head and smiled.

"Well, they are related," I said, laughing nervously. Way to keep your cool Tori, like an ice cube.

"Are you coming?" called Oliver up the steps.

"Yes!" I called back. Kylie jumped a little. She had been absolutely lost in the world of _One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish._ The plot really sucks you in.

"Well, hurry! Before I grow a beard!" shouted Oliver.

Avery gave Kylie a piggyback ride down the steps. "You look nice," she said as she passed him. And he did. Very nice, to be honest.

My stomach roared. "But a muzzle on it or something," was the brilliant advice Oliver offered.

"Or," interjected Avery, who was in front of the line to get food. "You could just eat a hot dog." She thrust one into my hands. "Condiments are over there," she added, pointing at a little stand not too far away.

She thanked the person who had given her the burger on her plate (I believe his name was Mr. McKessie) and went over to it, putting ketchup and lettuce and onions on her sandwich.

"Thanks for the hot dog," I said while I put ketchup and mustard on my own food.

Avery reached down to get a soda and started walking off. "No problem!" she shouted over her shoulder. Then she plopped down at a picnic table with Avril, Kylie, along with a woman who was at least 25 and a baby.

"Tori!" shouted someone. It was Josh, running over to them. "Oliv—"

"Shut up!" I hissed. "How bad would it be if my felon of a brother turned up at a neighborhood picnic?"

"Bad, I'm guessing." Josh smiled. "So what am I supposed to call you? Phillip or something?"

"Apparently my new name is Olsen, her cousin," muttered Oliver, shaking his head.

"Well, sorry. It was on short notice. You didn't even gave them a name. So I win." I took a bite of my hot dog.

Oliver threw grass at me, which is totally immature for a 15-year-old. For a 13-year-old, however, grass throwing is a perfectly respectable pass time.

Oliver shook stray leaves out of his hair. "I missed you."

"As you should," I said, shaking my head.

Josh, who was sitting beside me, tensed. He started to stare off into the distance. It's a little disconcerting, because he looked like someone had removed his brain. And I knew well now that certain people could.

"Olsen," he said, trying to get my brothers attention. "Olsen. _Oliver!"_ Oliver napped to attention. "Look." He pointed over to where the Taylor's were sitting. Kylie was pointing at something far away, and Avery was trying to calm her down. But her eyes looked worried.

"Tori, do you see anything weird?" he asked, and my heart flip-flopped, but I didn't mind at the moment.

"Does a giant man with six arm count as 'weird' for you?" I asked, my mouth taking on a very attractive "O".

"No, not really," admitted Josh. "But it's always fun seeing other peoples reactions."

"Oh, ha-ha."

There was a man in a classic trench coat, only instead of only one sleeve, he had six, three on each side of his body, and his torso was really long just to be able to fit so many. In fact, he was long all around. This guy had to be at least 8 feet, maybe more. And he was just walking around the field like he wanted to eat a hotdog and catch butterflies.

"Avril?" Avery asked. I could hear it all the way over where we were because her voice got really high pitched and loud when she was nervous. "Watch Kylie for me, just for a little while. Please." Avril, looking around for cute guys to flirt with, nodded. Avery took off. A few minutes later, Avery hadn't returned, and the giant came up to the table.

"You're big," said Kylie, in absolute awe. "How do you get so big? I want to be big! Like a tree!" Kylie exclaimed, making arm motions.

"Would you like to learn?" asked the man, and his voice was low and almost a growl.

"Yes yes!" Kylie clapped. The man took her hand and they headed off into the forest. Avril didn't even blink. Some sister.

"Stupid Gegenees," Josh muttered.

"They're a type of giant. They all have six arms," explained Oliver. "I haven't seen one in years."

"Well, then that's good to know. Do you want me to work on another conspiracy theory?"

"If you can do it while you fight a giant, sure why not," said Josh, standing up.

"What? Woah, wait there a minute," I stood up too. "How am I supposed to beat up a giant? I'm barely up to your shoulder." It was sad, but true. Not only was I abnormally short, but Josh was abnormally tall.

"You don't beat him up. You chop him up," he said, throwing me a dagger. It went right through me.

"Wait to go. I can't use that."

Josh smiled like I was an idiot. "You can't touch the blade. The hilt is fine. The hilt isn't celestial bronze, so you can use it." He smiled like I had made his day.

I scowled. I hated looking stupid. But I picked up the dagger anyway. Avery still hadn't com back, and Avril still didn't notice that her sister was going to be...whatever it was that giant thing was planning. I'm going with lunch. I just couldn't see that monster eating a salad.

"Let's go," said Oliver, standing up too. He didn't have a bow, which I found weird, because I vaguely remember Apollo being an archer, like his sister. Didn't Josh say that he was a son of Apollo?

I didn't have time to mull this thought over. The next thing I knew, we were running in the direction that the giant and Kylie had gone. I felt like one of those idiot girls in horror films. You know, going _toward_ the scary monster. It made more sense to run away.

We broke into a clearing. I saw two very weird things. One was the giant carrying an unconscious Kylie to an unknown destination. The other was the giant itself.

He growled, kind of like a dog. He lay Kylie down on the ground surprisingly gentle, and then he turned, snarling I might add, to us.

Oliver and Josh had a good go at him. I'm ashamed to say that I hung back and only swiped with my dagger when it was necessary. I know, I know. I was a wimp. But I could leave the heroics to my brother. That's his forte. Mine is being wimpy. And I am perfectly okay with that.

They were trying their best, I'm sure. But fight a guy 8 feet tall with six arms, which were much beefier when they _weren't _confined in the trench coat is a lot easier said than done. And if it sound easy you are either insane or...well, even more insane.

"Oliver!" shouted Josh, and I ripped myself from my own head. I'm guessing that isn't safe in a fight, but I wasn't really doing anything. Guess ADHD actually does have its upsides.

Oliver's knife had been flung from his grip and was now very deeply embedded in a tree. The giant grinned, and I could see he had less teeth than Grandma Edna, and that's saying something. He could use a dentist.

He started to go after Oliver, and Josh flung himself at him, just to be thrown back with a swipe of the dentist-needing giant's hand. He landed with an "oof" and looked disoriented.

I tried to force myself to stand between my brother and his attacker, but I just couldn't. I mean, that's what they do in all the movies, right? The wimpy person who had hung in the background suddenly burst forth and defeated the monster. But this wasn't a movie, and that didn't happen in real life. So my feet refused to move.

"Oliver!" I shouted, still stuck. I threw a rock. It ricocheted off the giants head and hit a tree, in which it got stuck in the crater it had made. Right under Oliver's knife. How ironic.

The giant turned toward me, which made me wish he hadn't, because he had beady little eyes way too small for his head. He grinned savagely. Then, he made a small whimpering noise and exploded. It was so cool! He turned into a giant cloud of dust!

"That's for kidnapping my sister." I couldn't believe it. There she was, with Oliver's dagger in her hand after she had pried it from its prison.

"Avery?"

Avery smiled. "Hey, Tori." She gave Oliver back his blade. "It's nice to finally meet the other Williams sibling.


	8. Just Like the Wind

**a.n. Who knows what goes here? REVIEW PLEASE! I would enjoy it immensely. I didn't expect to get so many reviews so fast! Thanks to all of you who did! Okay, how about 22 reviews until the next chapter. Cuz that's a cool number. =P**

"Avery?" Josh and I stared wide-eyed at her as she gave Oliver his dagger back.

"Yes?" she asked innocently, as if it were totally normal to slice open a giant six-armed man like a thanksgiving turkey. Although, considering just how mysterious Avery seemed right at that moment, it was possible she did that daily. Kind of like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only this wasn't Sunnydale.

"'Yes'? '_Yes'?" _My voice got higher. "You chop up a G...Gigi..."

"Gegenees," corrected Josh. Stupid son of Athena.

"Whatever!" I sighed. "You chop up a giant, out of no where, and all you can say is _'yes'?"_ I gaped at her in awe.

"It can't be as weird as everything you've heard these past couple of days," she said with a shrug. She offered her hand to Oliver and hoisted him up with a groan.

"Thanks," he said coughing.

"No problem," she said with a grin. She was one of those people who always smiled, even after getting attacked. At least that's what I was thinking until she looked at the little pitiful pile of dust, which was all that was left of our dear friend the Gene...the Giant. The look on her face wasn't mad, exactly. More like how-dare-you-touch-my-sister. For a moment, she looked like she could have been a princess in another life, with her hair all curly and her skirt flowing in the breeze, and that look of disdain on her face.

She rushed over to Kylie and patted her cheek, looking worried when the spastic seven year old did stir.

"She's out cold," said Josh. Avery picked her up bridal style and propped her up against a tree.

"She saw, didn't she?"

"Saw what?" I asked, my head cocked to the side.

Avery looked at me, her navy eyes wide. "The Gegenees Giant. She saw him. I thought I was doing so well..."

Oliver and Josh had an identical look of confusion on their faces. Not that I can say anything. I had lost track a long time ago. My face probably looked like she was speaking Mandarin or something.

"W—what?" asked Oliver.

"Tori," Avery started. "I'm like you, I can see through the Mist...I've been able too since I was really young. We lived in California, which is about as monster infested as a place can get. After the school I went to was sure I was insane after I attacked out principal, who was totally half snake, we had to move."

"Okay..." I said slowly. "And this applies...how?"

"These things, that we can do, they're genetic, usually. But I'm the only one in my family who can see these..._things."_ She looked up at me, then at Josh, and finally at Oliver. Her eyes rested on him for a split second, and then she looked at her unconscious little sister. "I went to all of the family reunions, met all of the cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews. Everyone. And believe me, Cousin Earl does not have the best manners. And I was totally alone. Then mom had Kylie..."

"You think she can see through the Mist too?" I asked.

"I know, she was pointing at him. She noticed even before I did." Avery shook her head. "Ever since she was born, I managed to pass everything off as some illness, or genetic disorder, or something. Do you think I could get her to believe it was a dream?"

"What kind of seven year old dreams up a six handed giant?" asked Oliver. I glared at him. "What? All I'm saying is that I would go with the good old magic mushrooms excuse."

Kylie started to move a bit. Then, she opened her eyes and stood up so fast I thought she was going to get whiplash. Good old Kylie.

"Sister!" asked shouted and ran over to Avery. Instead of tackling her, like she would normally do, she started hugging her knees. "Big man! He was like, this tall!" she exclaimed spreading her hands as far apart as they would go, which wasn't even _my_ height, but we all got the point. "And he had arms _everywhere!_" Kylie started waving her arms around is circular motions.

"Really?" asked Avery, and she sounded amazed. "Where is he?"

Kylie looked around, even scrambling up onto a rock to get a better view, because she could have missed the gigantic man with the multiple limbs. "He left..."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said her sister, sounding truly upset, like she had wanted to see him. Even though she had, we all had. And I surely didn't feel like looking at his teeth again.

"Come on, sweetie, let's get back to the picnic. And don't run off like that again, okay?"

"But he told me I could be _big_!"Once again she stretched her arms as far as they could go.

"But being small is a good thing."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, very good."

"Okay!" And just like that Kylie started skipping of toward the herd of picnic tables. I was sure she would never follow a guy into the woods again, which was good. She raced up to the young woman with the child that Avery had been sitting next to. "Big man! He was like, this tall!" she started again, and I smiled.

Avery sighed and went to sit down on a bench out of the way of everything. Oliver looked around and ran off, only to come back a few minutes later carrying two ice cream cones. I shook my head. So that's why he had been defending her this morning.

"What's cousin Olsen doing?" asked Kylie, tugging on my shirt.

It took me a minute to realize she was talking about Oliver, because we hadn't told her anything yet, and I wasn't sure if we were going to,

"He's going to talk to your sister."

"Let's watch!" she said, clapping with glee. She raced off and hid behind a clump of bushes.

"Kylie," I hissed. "Get back here!" but I wasn't trying very hard. Because, let's face it. He was my brother. This was obviously my business, so I had a perfect right to hide behind bushes and—not eavesdrop—listen in on their conversation. He was clearly just giving me an opportunity to practice my spy skills.

"Ice cream?" he asked, grinning.

Avery jerked herself away from whatever she was thinking about and looked at the ice cream cone he was offering out to her. She grinned. "Mint chocolate chip?" she asked, shaking her head and taking it from him.

"Well, what can I say? I heard it was your favorite." Oliver sat down on the bench next to her.

"Oh! That was me!" said Kylie, rather loudly in fact. I don't think she got the "spy skills" gene.

I shushed her.

"So what are you thinking about?" asked Oliver, tearing the paper wrapper off of his ice cream cone. I don't know why he always does that.

"About lying to Kylie 24/7. I doubt I can pass that guy hitting her over the head as an illness."

Kylie knit her eyebrows. "She's lying to me? So she _isn't _getting me a doll for my birthday?"

I shushed her. Again.

"Why do you have to lie to her? Can't you just, you know, tell her about everything? Kylie doesn't seem like she would think we're all insane," suggested Oliver. "Who told you?"

Avery looked at him. "Daedalus."

Oliver looked really confused? "Really? But he's dead..."

Avery rolled her eyes. "It's not like I had to learn of everything lately. I knew this stuff before you did. I found out when I was 9. I fell into one of the openings of his labyrinth. There was this light on the floor...and it lead me to his workshop...he told me everything. He thought I was smart for finding my way in. I guess he wanted to reward me with the answers I wanted." She looked down at her ice cream. "Sometimes I think it was more of a curse."

Oliver sat on his side of the bench and looked at her while she talked, and then he leaned back and looked at the surrounding picnic. "It's hard to think anyone ever lives normal lives after a while."

Avery nodded. Then she smiled sadly. "But it's also hard to forget what it was like before this whole mess. I didn't have to hide anything from Kylie, or from Avril, although sometimes I think she's a monster herself..." she muttered, then she looked apologetically at Oliver. "Sorry, that was mean."

"And yet not too hard to believe," said Oliver, smiling. That's when he noticed Avery looking at him. "What?"

She looked at her feet, not like she was embarrassed, more like she was trying to do something she was scared to do. "Look, Oliver..." her voice faded a bit. She took a deep breath and started again. "My life is complicated enough without...this..." she said, looking straight into Oliver's eyes. "So thanks," she motioned to the ice cream. "But no thanks." She stood up and walked back over to her family. Oliver just there and shook his head.

Kylie looked confused. "Who the heck is Oliver?" she asked. I hid a giggle and shrugged.

That's when I felt this breeze blow b, but it was one of those lazy ones. It was fast and strong and my hair blew into my face. Kylie yelped and laughed while she flailed her hands around her head. So, no, it wasn't lazy. It was...urgent. And worried. I shivered.

Oliver felt it too. His head jerked up, and he looked around at the sky, like he expected clouds to start swirling and form a tornado, even though it was perfectly sunny out side.

"Oliver!" shouted Josh, forgetting to use his cover name. "Did you feel that?"

Oliver nodded. "What was it?"

Avery looked over at Josh and Oliver, and saw us hiding behind the bushes. She turned red, but her attention then turned back to the boys.

"It was Ashlee," said Josh, and he sounded worried. Just like the wind. "She's gone."

**So there it is! How did you like it? I'm going to do a little experiment. When you review, tell me what you want to happen, your favorite character, and all of that goodness. Let's see what comes up! **

**~Banana Smoothie**


	9. Nacho Cheese and Godly Summons

**a.n. Okay, so I didn't quite get 22 reviews. Shame on you people! Oh well, thanks to everyone who did review. I really appreciate it. They are so motivating *hint hint*. Let's see, how about 27 this time. Yay! REVIEW!!!**

**p.s. Do I need a disclaimer even if I'm not using the characters from the book? **

"What do you mean she's gone?" asked Oliver, rather forcefully too.

"Well, I mean that's she's gone, of course. Missing might be a better word, perhaps lost, mislaid, or absent. What do you think I mean by 'gone' Oliver?" snapped Josh, which really wasn't like him. "It's not like she went to go get milk from the grocery store."

"Who is this Oliver person!" wailed Kylie a bit too loud.

"Kylie?" Oliver kicked the bushes, which was really rude, knowing there was a seven year old hidden in them. Of course, he must have guessed who else was there, because his kick landed on my face. I yelped. "Tori..."

"Sorry, sorry," I muttered, dusting myself off. I fingered my nose. "It's not nice to kick people in the face, you know. Impolite, really. Whose Ashlee?" I inquired, determined to change the subject.

Oliver tensed, and his jaw clenched. I wasn't going to get any information out of him. "Oliver..." I warned.

"Who is Oliver? Tell me Tori, tell me cousin Olsen! Tell me!" shouted Kylie, jumping around. "And Ashlee, and the big man with all those arms who told me I could be big! And I'm stealing your ice cream." Just like that she snatched Oliver's ice cream cone and started attacking it. At least it would give us a little time.

"Josh? Do you care to spill?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug. I hadn't expected it to be that easy. Maybe he was starting to like back. "I don't see why Oliver won't." My heart deflated. "She's a daughter of Aether, the god of the Upper Air. The only one I've ever met. Her and Oliver had this thing..." he smiled wickedly at Oliver.

"Oliver Peter Williams," I said, mildly impressed. "So that's why you wouldn't tell."

"We didn't have a _thing,"_ insisted Oliver.

"Yeah. You liked her and she liked you and you were both denying it."

"Shut up, Josh."

Kylie had finished her ice cream. "You're Oliver!" she shouted, pointing at my brother. Then she did a happy dance, like this was the biggest accomplishment of her seven-year-old life. "And you like sister! Bad Oliver!"

"That's right," I admitted. "My brother is a player."

"And he's your brother?" asked Kylie her mouth opened into a very large "O". "You're a liar."

Oliver glared at me. "Let's just change the subject back to the _real_ problem, shall we? Ashlee is gone."

"Well, what can _we_ do?" I asked. "I'm just a nobody with good eyesight. You two are the heroes. Just, go and do some hero stuff. I'll wait for you here."

"I want to go!" said Kylie excitedly.

"What about the Oracle?" I jumped. I hadn't realized that Avery had walked back over to our little huddle. "In the myths that I've read there was an Oracle of Delphi that gave out prophecies. She's still around, isn't she?"

Josh whistled. "You know your stuff, huh?"

Avery smiled a little. "You don't learn that Greek Myths are real and then just go around your normal business. After that talk with Daedalus I looked up as much of that stuff as possible."

"What's a myth?" asked Kylie, confused, her head cocked to the side.

"I'll tell you later," remarked Avery. Kylie seemed content to wait.

"Well, technically you're right..." started Oliver.

"But Mr. Williams over here is banned from going on any quests," interrupted Josh with a shake of his head.

"You're _what?_" I asked, gaping.

"Thanks Josh, thanks a lot," sighed Oliver. "You are too."

"We covered the Ares cabin with hearts and pink streamers at Valentine's day, filled their bunks with stuffing on Thanksgiving, put up tons of mistletoe at Christmas (which we don't even celebrate, we just couldn't miss out on the opportunity), and when they tried to do a prank back, we covered _everything_ in the nacho cheese," said Josh with a smile on his face. "Those were the days."

"The person in charge must just absolutely love you two," I said sarcastically.

"Actually, he hates us," said Josh.

"Which is understandable," admitted Oliver.

"But to be perfectly honest he hates all of us, the campers, that is."

"How did two people cover an entire cabin with nacho cheese?" I asked.

"Well, it wasn't just the two of us," admitted Josh. "We had the whole Hermes cabin to help, because they love that sort of thing, and Hermes is pretty diligent about claiming his kids, for certain reasons that need not concern you."

"I don't believe it," I said, shaking my head.

"Believe what you want. We made the t-shirts to prove it."

"That's all nice and lovely, but what does this have to do with you not being able to talk to the Oracle?" asked Avery, her usually sunny demeanor slightly dampened for whatever reason. Perhaps it was the fact that someone had been kidnapped and we had no idea what to do. Yep, that might have been it.

"Well, Mr. D. caught us after the cheese incident, and figured out it was us who had gone on the Ares pranking spree, and then we weren't even aloud out of the camp."

"Then how did you get out to, you know, make me forgive Oliver?" I asked, my voice a little shaky. I could joke around and be happy around him, but I had a feeling it would be a while until I forgave him, at least completely.

"Oh, we snuck out—"

"You what?"

"Let me finish! We snuck out with the help of Chiron."

"And Chiron is...?"

"A centaur."

That was not the answer I had been expecting.

"Okay. So one your friends is kidnapped, gone, lost, misplaced, or absent," I recited. "We have no idea what to do, nor anyway to find out what we're supposed to do..." I shook my head. "Eureka! I have the obvious solution."

"What?"

"You two go back to this camp of yours and get other people to go get her for you. There, everyone is happy."

"I'm not," said Kylie raising her hand. "I have no clue what's going on, and all of my ice cream is gone." Well, to be fair, she still had quite a bit left on her face. "What do you think, cousin Oliver?"

"Brother," Avery corrected.

"Brother?" Avery nodded. "Whoa..." she said with a look of awe. "I don't know how that happened, but I like cousin Oliver better."

"Well, cousin Oliver doesn't like that solution either," he muttered.

"Why in the world not?" Avery asked, a little loudly. I noticed Avril watching us out of the reflection in her compact mirror. Of course, the school loser, her hot cousin, the local brainiac bad boy, her twin, and her hyperactive younger sister. What a group.

Of course, she could have just been spying on Oliver. She seemed like that type of girl.

"You can't just ignore a summons from a god!" insisted Josh.

"When did you get a summons?" I inquired.

"Just now," said Oliver. "There was a wind that passed, I doubt you felt it—"

"No, I felt it," I said. "It was wind, how could I not feel it? It's not like it's selective."

"It isn't, right?" asked Avery, a little worried.

Josh sighed and rubbed his head. "Normal wind isn't. Wind sent by the god of the Upper Air, well, that only hits who he wants it to hit. I don't know why on earth he wants a mortal—"

"Two actually, if you were talking about that really large breeze that just went past here," injected Avery. "My hair started blowing every which way and Avril started freaking out 'cause she thought I was possessed. It was funny, but I had a feeling that it wasn't just wind."

"Two then...I don't think I like the prospect of having you and Tori along on the way," mumbled Josh.

"Wait, you're going?" I asked. "I thought you were going to go get a bunch of these other half-god kids and get them to go."

"We would," started Oliver. "But Ashlee's dad, Aether, sent that wind by here to warn us, and ask us to find his daughter, and if that happens, you'd be wise to do as he says."

"Oh please," said Josh. "Like you would back down and let strangers rescue Ashlee?" He looked at Avery and me nervously. "And I don't think we should take Avery and Tori, seeing as they're mortal."

"I can fight perfectly fine, thank you very much," sniffed Avery. "And I can teach Tori in no time. Besides," she said harmlessly. She looked up at Oliver with a look of pure innocence. "If you're as good as you say you are, then I doubt any monsters will even make it us."

Oliver looked a little uncomfortable with Avery standing so close.

Kylie spun around. "Big wind come by and blow us all away on adventure and danger! Big wind almost knock me down," she said with a huff. She was a rather dramatic seven year old.

"Did you...feel...the big wind?" asked her older sister, who was turning green.

"Yep! It was angry..."

"Oh dear..." then she saw the look on Josh's face. "No. No. No, no, no. She is _not_ coming with us. On any circumstances."

"Aether wants her for a reason, and last time I checked, gods have a nice view of the future," tried Oliver.

"Well, then he can see another future!"

"Avery?" asked Josh. "Are you really going to leave Kylie all alone with Avril for however long we're gone? You're parents are out of town, right?"

"Yeah, maybe going with us in the safest thing," I suggested.

She glared at all three of us, and then she looked at her sister, who waved at us all in her compact. Avery closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'll go if you go!" said Kylie.

"If that's the case, I'd rather not," muttered Avery.

Kylie looked confused. "Oh, well can I go anyway?"

Avery laughed. "Okay...she can come."

"Wait, when are we leaving?" I asked.

"As soon as possible," Josh answered. "Go and back a small backpack, tell your parents, and meet back here tomorrow after clean up for the picnic is over. We can leave then."

"What do you pack to go on a rescue attempt?" I asked.

"I'll help, don't worry," Oliver said, ruffling my hair. I hate it when he does that. I slapped his hand away.

"See you tomorrow, I have to go and talk to Avril," said Avery, and I could hear the eye roll in her voice.

Luckily, they weren't that far away, and I had excellent hearing, so I didn't have to hide behind a bush this time. That's a plus!

**I know, bad ending. But that's okay for now, because it will all be in the next chapter! The mre you review he sooner it comes. Review! On your mark, get set, go!**

**~Banana Smoothie**


	10. I Meet the Daughter of a Felon

**Yay! Good job people! I finally got 25 reviews. I clap for you all. *clap clap* Okay, so here it is. Oh, and by the way, I won't be here for four days, because I get to go to Dance Camp! Woot woot! And it's pretty intense, so I will be really tired when I get home. Oh well, it will be fun. And the to answer a question I got in a review, no. Percy and company will not be in this story. If you were holding out for it, I'm really sorry. On with the story!**

"Hi Avril..." muttered Avery, sitting down on the bench next to her twin. Avril barely even looked up from her compact. Then she snapped it shut with a whole lot of force, because I could hear it echoing through the whole field. I swear I heard the birds stop singing.

"You traitor," she hissed. Avery seemed taken aback.

"W—what?" she asked looking very confused.

"Olsen is the cousin of the enemy! That weird girl that made a fool of me on the first day! And you are over there...doing whatever you were doing," she finished smartly.

I tried to recall the first day at middle school. That was right after Oliver left. Then I remembered. I had spit my milk out onto the floor because it was so spoiled it couldn't even be considered a liquid anymore, and along walked Avril, wearing her new clothes, and she slips, getting chunky milk all over herself.

I smiled a little, but then it turned into a grimace. Two years torture because she wasn't watching where she was walking? Maybe she thought I had done it on purpose. I hadn't exactly denied doing so to embarrass her. I didn't say much of anything back then. Let's face it, I was in a funk. "You were flirting your little butt off if my memory serves me correctly," scowled Avery.

"He's hot, okay? I'll admit it. It's my rivalry, so I can flirt with whoever I see fit," she huffed.

"_Whom_ever," Avery corrected. "And I didn't come here to get scolded by my sister for playing nice. I came to tell you I am _leaving."_

"To go where? With who?" asked Avril, waiting for the next piece of gossip to spread around the school.

Avery pointed behind her, towards Josh and Oliver, and me. Thank goodness she didn't look over at me and see me listening. "And Kylie."

Avril turned red. "What? Are you just going to leave me? For how long?"

Avery sighed. "I don't know. Mom might be done with her tour before I get back. It's a good time to show that you are responsible. You should be glad."

Avril did _not_ look glad. "You are going on a trip to who knows where with our little sister and you don't know how long it will be. And you don't have supervision?"

"Pretty much."

"And I can't come?"

That's when I stopped listening. I didn't really want to hear Avery try to convince the Queen Bee that it was going to be educational, or that it would be boring, or bad for her reputation to be hanging out with her sister and her enemy. She would lose her edge, or something like that crap.

"I thought that Ashlee was your sister," I said to Josh, hoping to start a conversation that would end with him declaring his never-ending love for me. Or something along those lines, I'm not really that picky.

"What?" he asked, because it looked like he had been in deep thought. Probably making a plan like children of Athena do so well.

"Earlier, you called her 'sis'. When you were talking to her right before I found you the other day and we had that fateful conversation about how the gods were real? It's not something I can easily forget."

"Oh," he took another golden drachma (because I finally figured out what to call them) and started flipping it again. I was realizing he did tat when he was nervous and didn't want to show it. "We aren't really brother and sister, we're cousins," he started. "On our normal side. You now, the human half." He looked off into the sky, and I had the weirdest feeling that I had seen the same shot somewhere on television. "She's my dads sisters daughter, if you can follow that."

I nodded, acting like I had. _Once upon a time, a girl was getting really confused, and all she could think about was the cute guy standing next to her, even though she was dimly aware of her older brother standing a little ways away watching with amusement. Shut up Oliver, and wipe that look off of your face._

"But, wouldn't it make more sense to call her 'cuz' or something?" I inquired, to get back onto a track that I actually _could_ follow.

"When she was really young—when we were _both_ really young—her mom died in a car crash. She lived on the other side of the state, but her dad, Aether, led her to our house, and she lived with us until we could go to camp. So, she sort of is my sister, metaphorically."

I nodded, and this time I did understand. I can keep track of simple concepts and conversation, thank you very much. "She's my fathers brothers cousins sisters friends daughters..." that's the part that threw me for a loop.

Oliver cleared his throat, and I looked at him. Well, it was more of a glare, because he looked like I was close to laughing.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"I said nothing," he replied, holding his hands up like he was surrendering, but he still had that look on his face. "Nice taste, by the way."

"Shut up," I repeated, for lack of anything better to say. I believe I have said it before, but if you want a witty comeback, give me a little warning to prepare something. I'm not so good at thinking on my feet.

"I will if you get the monkey off of my back," he said. That's when I realized that Kylie's little hands were locked around Oliver's neck and she was looking very ready for a piggyback ride indeed.

I took in a deep breath to get prepared for the fit of laughter that was bubbling up. Come on! My brother, the war hero, the slayer of beasts, the guy with two years of intensive training, could not escape the clutches of a hyperactive seven year old.

He raised one eyebrow in the most Oliver-ish way possible, and I shut my mouth. It was either that or to be laughed at for my rather apparent fawning of Joshua Blake, the brainiac bad boy who was way out of my league and just happened to be Oliver's best friend. Do I know how to pick them or what?

I huffed. "Fine," I spat out grudgingly. "Come on, Kylie," I said, heaving her up off of Oliver before she choked him to death. I have to admit; the prospect was appealing at that moment. "I'll go get you more ice cream."

Kylie squealed with delight. She clapped with excitement and squirmed out of my hold, making a beeline for Avery and Avril. "Tori's going to get me ice cream, sisters! Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!" she jumped into Avery's arms, which took the girl by surprise.

She looked at me, and I made a face and shrugged my shoulders guiltily. Avery shook her head. "No she isn't, Kylie. We are going to go home and pack for that big trip."

Kylie looked crestfallen. Then she perked up in her usual Kylie way. "Can we have it after we pack?" she asked.

Avery made a show of considering it. "Well, maybe," she said overdramatically. "If you're really good."

Kylie nodded enthusiastically. "I will be! I will be!"

"Um...okay," Avery declared. Kylie squealed some more.

"So your mom is on tour?" I asked. "Doing what?"

Avery looked at me funny. "Guess you were listening in on _that _too." She shook her head, but a big smile was still rather prominent on her face. "She is a ballet dancer. Well, really she does just about everything. Around last Christmas she was playing Clara in _The Nutcracker,_ and now she's playing Carabosse, the wicked witch in _Sleeping Beauty._"

"And your dad?" I questioned. "Avril said she would be alone without you and Kylie."

"He's gone."

"Oh, so he's...like, permanently gone?"

"You mean dead?" Avery smiled a little. "No, he's healthy as a horse. You'd have to be, I guess, if you were going to rob a bank."

"Oh..."

Avery laughed. "It's fine. See ya!" she called, running off, Kylie pulling on her finger ahead of herm getting ready to pack.

There was no doubt about it, things were going to take a turn for the weird, and it was going to start at noon tomorrow.

**Yay! New chapter! Review! It makes me happy! And it's kind of like coffee, so maybe if I get a lot I will write faster! Let's try for 30! **

**And there just might be a sequel if the end of this does not bore me. And if people like it enough. Maybe it'll be Kylie when she is older, since she is my favorite. =) Tell me what you want! **

**Review!**

**~Banana Smoothie**


	11. We're Off to See the Wizard!

**a.n. Hooray! 30 reviews! You all rock! Sorry it took me so long (what's it been, like two months?!)...but I just don't have the motivation *wink wink* You know what helps with motivational stuff? Reviews! Not that I'm implying anything.**

The next day at noon, it was pretty easy to figure out who was a morning bird and who was...not.

Early Bird #1) Oliver. I know. I was surprised too. He would still be asleep by noon before his disappearing act. I guess when you're training to fight monsters people don't look kindly on oversleeping.

Non-Early Bird #1) Joshua Blake. Actually, he looked like he had pulled an all-nighter. Probably making a plan. Athena must have dark circles under hers eyes or something if she never sleeps, always making plans, like her children. Or, at least, the one child of hers that I've actually met.

Early Bird #2) Kylie. She looked as cute as a button. She had her hair in little pigtails, and her curls were just about everywhere, but she was excited, no doubt about it. And she was undeniably awake.

Non-Early Bird #2) Avery. She's going to kill me when she reads this description. Her hair was absolutely everywhere, but it usually is. She looked like she hadn't slept either; although her skin was so white it glowed in the sun. Her navy eyes were dull, which was a little disconcerting, like she was looking at you, but she wasn't seeing anything.

And, just to make it up to my dear friend Avery, I will now describe myself very well. If this were on television, it would be in high definition. Maybe...

Anyway, in a few words, I looked like crap. My hair was frizzy and bushy and my blue eyes looked plain. I wore a sweatshirt and jean shorts. So, please give a warm round of applause for...*insert drum roll* Non-Early Bird #3! Thank you, thank you!

"Tori!" Kylie yelped. She squirmed a little. 3...2...1...BAM!

"Hi Kylie," I said from the ground, brushing dirt off of my butt. I'll admit, I wasn't very enthusiastic. Actually, I'm usually up and ready by 12, but I was about to go on a search and rescue mission. How could you sleep with something like that hanging over your head? I was afraid my worry was going to eat me or something...

"You don't look so good," commented Josh after we had starred walking to who knows where.

"Thanks..." I muttered. He noticed me at least! That was a plus, right? Maybe?

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep our meager conversation rolling. I also tied my hair into messy bun. A girl has got to look her best, and unfortunately, that was the best I _could_ look at the moment. "Do you guys even know?"

"The airport," he answered. "We have to get from here to Houston."

"You mean, like, Texas?" asked Avery, making her way over to us, Kylie holding onto her hand.

Josh nodded.

"How are we going to buy five tickets to Texas from here?" she inquired. "That's going to cost a lot."

"Good thing you're along, right?" he asked mysteriously. Avery turned red.

"You can't just assume that I'm going to pay for something like this!" she shrieked, her voice getting higher pitched. "I don't even know if I can—"

"You can," Josh insisted. "I checked last night, and you're all set to go."

Avery sighed heavily, and she looked like she was about to punch him in the face, but she hung her head and walked over to Oliver, who was leading the party. "Hey, so, about the tickets..." The rest of their conversation they exchanged in whispers. And even my finely tuned ears couldn't catch most of what they were saying. And I had practice!

"How do you know it's Texas?" I inquired, desperate for conversation.

Josh looked at me, and I shivered a little bit. He was seriously gorgeous, in my opinion. Messy blonde hair, pure silver eyes, a light tan. He looked like he should be on a magazine, or in a movie. Not going out to fight monsters that have been plaguing the earth since Ancient Greece, or maybe even before that. And he definitely shouldn't be talking to me.

He threw me a folded up piece of paper. It was a map of the United States, only much more clearly defined, with shaded areas all different colors. The key said a bunch of junk in another language (probably Ancient Greek: go figure) that I had absolutely no hope of ever translating. A big circle was scrawled over Huston. "A little birdie told me."

I turned it over. In small, curving, ornate letters was more of the language. I had caught on that Oliver wasn't the only demi-god with dyslexia, that it was actually something that labeled you as one, so I figured the handwriting must be murder on his eyes, but I asked anyway. "What does this mean?"

Josh didn't even glance over at me. "'Do not fail.'"

"That's encouraging."

"It was a gift from my mother," he added after a moment of silence. Something about the way he said it made me fidget.

"Something about that is bothering you?" I guessed.

Josh nodded shortly. "The gods don't usually associate with any of us half-bloods at all, and there are certain rules that they have to follow. Athena wouldn't have done this if something very wrong wasn't about to happen."

"Not even for her own son?" I was astounded (which, by the way, is a vocabulary word. Thanks Ms. Cooper!).

"No," he answered. "The gods have tons of sons, and tons of daughters, for tons of years. If they just swooped down to save us any time we "needed" help, the world would basically be in absolute chaos. Not to mention we would all be very fat and lazy and incredibly useless." Josh pulled out the golden drachma from his pocket and flipped it through his fingers. "We're here to destroy monsters, and mommy and daddy can't help us with that."


	12. Sweet dreams

**a.n. Hello, hello! Guess what? I'm depressed. :'( That's bad. Do you know why I'm depressed? Because I have a very small flow of reviews coming my way. I have self-esteem issues. Reviews might cure my depression. (and yes, I know it's boring at the moment, and that you were planning on some heavy duty monster action on their way to Texas, but they don't have a child of Poseidon, and I do NOT want to spend ten years of them getting lost, because Avery has a terrible sense of direction. So, they are taking a plane.)**

"Are you...okay?"

I screamed.

Avery rolled her eyes. "Apparently not." She went back to reading her book. Thank you for the sympathy.

Slowly, I unclenched my hands from sides of my chair. I vaguely remember noticing that my knuckles had turned white from lack of circulation, and they were beginning to regain their original color. I closed my eyes again and took deeps, long breaths for a few moments, ignoring the strange looks I was getting from the other passengers at my little outburst (emphasis of _little _because my scream is rather low and manly, and thus barely audible).

"Tori...?" asked Josh slowly, since he had asked the first question and gotten my _little_ scream as a reply. "You don't like planes, do you?"

"No."

Oliver laughed a little. "You should have seen her when we were heading to Delaware for some family reunion. I felt like her eyes were going to pop out of her head!"

"No one can even remember that vacation. It was in freakin' _Delaware!_ Delaware is, like, the smallest state ever. And probably most boring," I shot back.

"It was one of the original thirteen colonies," offered Joshua. "Along with Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland."

I stared at him.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, you seem a little, green...and, you know, not good."

I took another deep breath. "Thank you for that lovely description. Very eloquently put. " I'm pretty sure I turned even more "not good" and Josh put it. Why did _he_ of all people have to witness me at my worst?

"Oh! Good word!" injected Avery suddenly, smiling a little over her book.

"What does "eloquently" even mean?" asked Oliver, struggling not to laugh.

Avery took a deep breath, as though she was going to start on a very long winded description of exactly what "eloquently" meant.

Josh beat her to the punch.

"Eloquently is an adverb which is derived from 'eloquent' which is an adjective that means 'having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech,'" he answered all in one breath. I thought back on my Speech & Drama class and wondered if he would be able to that huge one in all one breath. Perhaps this was another one of Athena's children's superpowers: longwinded-ness. Define _that _one! It's not even a word!

Oliver shook his head good-naturedly. "You are you mother's child, that's for certain."

"Have you ever actually met her?" inquired Avery, now closing her boo after shoving in her bookmark. I guess she thought the conversation was getting interesting.

"Sure," answered a bemused Josh, like he wasn't really thinking. Or maybe like he was thinking _too much_. Like he was thinking of one of those distant memories that you had to chase to keep it with you. "I'm not a year rounder, o I don't get to go the Mount Olympus, but she has talked to me in various ways."

"How?" I pressed.

Josh shrugged. "In dreams. Through little symbols. I like to ask her questions sometimes, when I'm really confused. More often than not, if she even answers, she sends me a package through Hermes with a little puzzle in it, and I have to figure out the puzzle before I can get an answer."

"That's cool," I said simply.

Josh nodded. "She's a lot more involved with kids like me and Annabeth, a girl from camp that was deeply involved in the war with the Titans, than she is with most of her children."

"And even then she is more involved than at least half of the other gods and goddesses," admitted Oliver sourly, which was strange. I had never seen Oliver "sour" exactly. Sure, I'd seen him a little under the weather. Or when I jumped on top of him to wake him up when I was little. But never really...sour.

The plane the slightest bit of turbulence, and my stomach lurched with it. "Ugh!" I groaned. An old lady who was sitting in front of me flashed me an irritated look. "I hate planes," I whispered to Avery across the aisle out of the corner of my mouth.

She patted my cheek absent mindedly, now, once again, fully engrossed in her book, Kylie asleep in the chair beside her. I was sitting alone with an empty chair next to me, and I imagined taking out the organs that were causing my trouble and pushing them aside in the chair, finally able to sleep peacefully.

And yet, I could not.

"I hate planes!" I shouted, slapping my hands up to cover my face in misery. I am truly a pitiful soul.

Josh waited until the lady with the cart had wheeled her way threw and jumped over into the empty seat next to me, bumping my knees as he passed. I blushed, though my face was covered by my hands.

He tapped my back gently. "Tori," he whispered.

I groaned in response.

And then he started singing. Which is totally cliché. The hot blonde guy singing the poor girl to sleep. That's one cliché I can live with. He had a deep voice that was somehow surprisingly smooth, like thick honey.

Something sweet laced his words. I felt my pain dissolving, my eyes feeling heavy. It was like magic. They forced themselves shut. Halfway...back open...three quarters...halfway...but I wanted to keep on listening.

Josh straightened my shoulders out, so that I wasn't hunched over my knees as though I was going to throw up at any moment any more. His touch was honey laced as well, although for another reason.

Sitting up now, I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder, something I would never, _ever_, do otherwise. But I was suddenly so overwhelming tired. "Sleep tight," he whispered.

And I slept.

And I dreamt.

It was the worst dream I had ever had. And even worse...I knew it was true.


	13. Let the Games Begin

**a.n. Yay! I'm making up my failure! Aren't you proud of me? I am. :)**

I was in a totally different place. At least I wasn't on the plane anymore. Instead of feeling like I was suffocating in body odor and the smell of old ladies and equally old leather seats, I felt as though I couldn't hide anywhere at all. What's it called...agoraphobia? I think that's what it is. I know that Oliver has something similar, because he always freaks out if he is utterly out in the open.

I felt agoraphobic. I was in a large room, almost larger than my room back home. Two single beds with itchy looking muddy yellow bed sheets sat in the corner, tucked neatly up against the walls, which looked as if it were red brick painted over with a rusty looking orange color. There was a small bathroom consisting only of a toilet (which is not sanitary). The floor was merely tightly packed dirt that blew up into great cloud of brown and made you sneeze if you weren't careful in certain areas. There were no windows. There were no doors.

I felt eyes boring into the back of my neck. A violent wave of chills ran up and down my spine, so sudden and forceful I sank to my knees, because I honestly felt as though not one part of body had any bones in them at all. I breathed heavily for a moment. I looked slowly over my right shoulder, staring at the crimson red eyes planted on the painted brick of the wall. The pupils seemed at though they were swirling. I couldn't, absolutely couldn't look away from them.

"What are you sitting around for?"

I turned my head so fast that my hair smacked my face, and I vaguely remember the smell of dirt and sweat as it ran under my nose. Suddenly, I also felt the rough fabric of my clothing rub against my skin, which was strangely tender.

I had very little time to take all this in and fit the pieces together. The person to whom the voice belonged was sitting in the opposite corner of the barren room.

She was beautiful.

Not like my mother, who had this sophistication about her. Not like Avery, who could make you smile at anything and gives off this...glow. She was beautiful because she was not trying. She had this earthy look to her, like she lived in the woods with the seven dwarves. Her shockingly red hair looked windblown, and her eyes, deep green like the leaves of an oak tree, were looking at me hard.

"Get us out here," she said, standing. She wore a long white Grecian dress with golden ornamentation. She looked uncomfortable, although I could tell it was made of the best materials, while me own garb felt like I was being covered in sand.

"And just how do you suppose I do that?" my mouth says, although my brain tells me to ask who she is.

She smiles a little crookedly, and her red hair and dress start flying frantically around her in all directions as a heavy wind literally rattles the whole scene until it shatters into a million pieces. Give or take, of course. It's not like I counted.

I found myself in a very dark corridor, at the end of which was an eerily aged door. I could tell that it was once black, but the paint was horrible chipped and red handprints ran up and down the surface, like someone was dragging their hands down it in desperation. I shivered.

I felt my muscles tense. I tried, unsuccessfully, to resist as my hand slowly inching it's was towards the doorknob and turned. It opened surprisingly easy, without one squeak of protest, like they always did in movies. I held my breath. Something about what ever was in there was undeniably..._wrong_.

The door swung shut one second latter, and, as if someone had planted it there, I saw one word in my head: forbidden. Unfortunately, in that one second I saw. I saw a huge room, filled with people of all ages, races, and genders. There were people ranging from at least 4 to 80 years old. Women clung to screaming children. Men held back spirited young boys who were swinging their fists wildly in every direction, attempting to attack something at the front of the room. The elderly simply looked tired, like they were getting ready to kill over from the stress of...something.

I heard a ringing. That's when I realized. They were all chained together, ankle to ankle, man to woman, child to adult, hopeless to hopeless. I could hear a child crying for their mother, for the homes, even after the door had shut itself. I knew I would hear it for a very long time. Because it was Kylie's. And mine. My voice as a young child, like I had heard it on family videos.

I felt a sharp, searing pain across my shoulders. Then against the soft part on the back of my knees. They bent unwillingly. Someone tucked a grimy finger under chin and forced me to look at them, although all I could see was the hand reaching out of the darkness, and those horrible crimson eyes. I could feel their hot breath run across my own dirty face.

"Curious child," they said, amused. It was impossible to hear if it was male or female, because it was distorted, like someone was talking into one of those little toys that makes you sound like Darth Vader. "You wish to dream? Dream sweetly. Savor it while you can. Little Trespasser, your time will end. I will make it my personal goal." They traced the outline of my cheekbone. A sickening scream arose from the other side of the Black Door, the scream of a girl in pain, and cruel laughter echoed around in my head. "Let the games begin, little Trespasser."

Suddenly, they lashed out, their nails growing impossibly long and sharp, raking my cheek. I felt blood, tasted it as it trickled down my face and wet my lips. But mostly, I felt pain. A deep scorching pain like I was being thrown into an outrageously huge fire and burnt. I felt as though I were on the very surface of the sun, starting with my face, and then rushing down through my body, every single nerve screaming.

"Tori?" I heard vaguely. "Tori!" someone shouted. Someone was grabbing my shoulder in a death grip and shaking it, trying to get my awake. I tried to wake up my self, but I couldn't think at all.

"Tori!" they called again, at least I think that was the part that was real. I was in this kind of half awake half asleep state.

"Is she okay?"

"Sure," someone insisted. "This happens sometimes. She get horrible airsick, you see. This is the result," they replied with practiced ease.

Whoever was asking stopped.

"Tori, can you hear me?"

I tried to move, but I felt like I was on fire still.

"Oliver?" someone asked, their voice thick with worry.

"Yeah, I know."

Distantly, I felt someone put their hands on me. Then every tongue of fire vanished. My nerves were relieved for a moment, then, I felt nothing.

My eyes still wouldn't open.

Eerie laughter that I was certain were only by me, in the dark void of unconsciousness, rippled through me. "Let the games begin."

**I got bored, so I decided to make this as dramatic as I possibly could. I'm very satisfied. Now review! Click...**

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	14. Budding Romance

**a.n. Okay, so, writers block officially sucks. Like, mega suck. If you like this, I just let out another story that I am trying called Favors of Shadow. Please read and review that as well. Sorry this is so short. I'm going to the movies! Yay! thank you fall break!  
**

"Gahhh!" That was the attractive noise I made upon waking. My head felt like someone had taken a hammer and beaten into it. I could practically see the dents in my head. A nasty taste lingered in my mouth, and I could tell I needed mouthwash. On the plus side, I no longer felt the need to empty my stomach of any and all fluids, so I wasn't on the plane anymore. That was good. I don't planes. They should never have been invented in to first place. Stupid Wright Brothers. I didn't even remember mercifully getting out of the plane. I thought back, trying to remember. I had a feeling that someone was carrying me...I remembered voices, worried ones.

Oh, yeah. That freaky dream, the fire. Someone calling my name. And the girl. The girl in my dream. I knew, she was important. That must be...that must be Ashlee. The one that was kidnapped. But who were the people behind the black door with the red handprints? Maybe someone was just collecting half-bloods. But, from what I had heard, most half-bloods didn't make it to their 80's or up. There were a lot of old people.

I moved a little, and I heard the rustle of the covers around me. I was laying in a hotel bed, with big fluffy pillows and a paisley bedspread.

Someone tapped the back of my head lightly. "Eeeeep!" I cried, bundling up the covers around me. I was still wearing the clothes I had been the day before.

The sudden movement made my vision go fuzzy, like I was looking through cotton. When it cleared, I saw an amused smile and a bunch of golden blond hair.

"Joshua!" I asked exclaimed, blinking away the remainder of whatever was hindering my eyesight. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I didn't know you were going to freak out." He flipped his little golden coin up and down in the air absently. He looked at me sidelong, his gray eyes peeking out of his curly blond hair. He smiled a little, but it looked fake. Kind of like he was trying not to worry me by hiding his worry, if that makes any sense at all. I doubt it does."What happened?"

"I was about to ask the same thing," I asked. My face turned a little red, remembering how he sang me to sleep, but my confusion masked it, do I don't think he noticed too much. "Last thing I remember was falling asleep..." My voice dropped off, asking him to fill in the blanks.

Josh frowned a little. "You just slept for a while, perfectly normal. But then..." he cleared his throat. "You started convulsing and whatnot." He paused, looking at me uncertainly. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I know what convulsing means."

He nodded, smiling a little. "And then you started wimpering and flinching, like whatever you were dreaming about actually hurt." He looked at me hard with his gray eyes. "You had me really worried. Oliver and Avery too, of course."

I didn't say anything. I just sat there, chewing the inside of my cheek. This was so...weird.

"Tell me. What were you dreaming about?" Josh asked, worry thick in his voice.

Well, I couldn't tell my soul mate no, do I went over the whole thing. The itchy clothing, the red-headed girl in the white dress, then the black door with the eerie hand-prints, the people chained together. I relived the screaming numbly, trying not to think about it too much. I shivered when I got to the part about the person in the hallway. My hand absently went to my cheek. "But...it probably isn't anything anyway. Maybe I ate magic mushrooms or something...That can happen, right?"

"It's true that demigods often have dreams like that. But..." Joshua's fingers twitched towards his bronze knife he kept on his person at all times. "We already proved that you aren't."

"That girl, was that Ashlee? Did it sound like her?" I asked. I needed to know. It was killing me.

Josh nodded slowly. "It's strange, though, that you saw her wearing a dress. She isn't really, well, a dress sort of person." He fidgeted with the little gold coin.

"She didn't look comfortable," I agreed. "But all of the other people, they weren't wearing anything like that. Do you think she is, like, a partner or something? Maybe she is helping the dude in the hallway."

Josh looked physically hurt, like I had slapped him. I wished I could take it back. "No way," he answered, his voice undeniably firm. "Not Ashlee. Besides, you said that she was in the cell, with you. She wouldn't have been in there if she was working with the man."

I nodded. "So, then, here is something different between Ashlee and all of the people in the room...and me," I added.

Josh nodded. "But not enough that it makes them want to let her go. After all, they kidnapped her in the first place. I doubt they did that just to make her wear something other than pants."

He sat on the edge of my bed, and suddenly laid back around my feet in exhaustion, and I saw that his eyes were tired. "Did you stay up all night?" I asked suddenly, crawling over to him and poking him between the eyes.

He kept looking at the ceiling, like he was trying to make in crumble with his laser vision. "Yes."

"That wasn't very smart," I scolded playfully. I suddenly realized how close we were.

He took a deep breath. "Well, Tori—"

**"**Tori!" I was immediately surrounded by a mess of curly black hair and little limbs, belonging to a little girl who had a very long nap. Kylie.

Avery was smiling a little, looking at Josh, who let out the deep breath he had just taken. I could tell, she was silently laughing at him.

Oliver, however, was openly laughing at him.

Avery kicked him.

Oliver stopped laughing.

"Hi Kylie!" I said, a little groggily. I realized how stiff I was. I wondered vaguely how long I had been asleep.

"I missed you! you looked dead!" she cried, hugging me. "You smell!" she said, which contrasted largely with the huge smile on her face.

I suppressed a grimace, took a little sniff, and silently agreed.

"Come on, let's let Tori get ready," said Oliver, plucking Kylie up off of me. "We have lots to do today." I could see in his smile as well,it was the same as Josh's. Like he was worried but didn't want me to know. Stupid stubborn older brother.

"Can you buy me that ice cream you promised?" Kylie was asking as Oliver carried her out of the room over his shoulder like a potato sack.

Josh, sighing, got up as well. "I need to talk to you," he said to Oliver, rushing out after him. His face was a little red.

Outside, almost out of earshot, I heard Oliver laugh long and hard. "I sense a budding romance!"

My ears felt warm. How dare my own brother embarrass me that way? I wasn't..._that_ obvious.

"Oh, boys, they are so easy to understand," Avery said with a little laugh. Seeing my confusion, she passed me a tightly wrapped package. "It's a gift. Open it tonight." Then she passed me a bundle of clothing. "And take a shower."

**Now review! Click...**

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